Hospital too busy to check all children

The emergency department at The Children's Hospital at Westmead has become so busy that almost 600 parents walked out with their children in one month without seeing a doctor.

The average wait to be treated increased from 90 minutes in May to two hours in June as the highly regarded hospital had an influx of patients from across the western suburbs.

Internal documents show that the hospital has been one of the worst affected over the winter as attendances soared at emergency departments across the city.

The number of people arriving at the emergency department was 17.8 per cent higher in June than in June last year, a hospital report says.

The number of those walking out before seeing a doctor was 594 in June, compared with 408 in May.");document.write("

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The hospital's chief executive, Kim Oates, said he was concerned, but said many of the children who were taken away before they saw a doctor had received appropriate care from a nurse.

"A lot of walkouts are because people feel satisfied, and others are because it's a long time to wait."

Follow-up calls were also made to parents after walkouts if there was any concern among medical staff about their condition, he said.

The surge in demand at hospital emergency departments over winter has forced the Government to open extra beds, to increase staff numbers and even to contract with private hospitals to use their beds.

A further $5.5 million was committed yesterday to establish 24 specialty teams to deal specifically with elderly patients arriving at emergency departments.

At The Children's Hospital, the high level of demand has also reduced the ability of staff in the emergency department to see patients within the times recommended by the Department of Health.

Of the children classed as semi-urgent and requiring treatment within an hour only 21.8 per cent received it in June, almost half the May figure of 40.7 per cent. The recommended figure is 60 per cent.

The Australian Medical Association's state president, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, said The Children's Hospital was in some ways a victim of its own success.

Parents from outer western suburbs were driving straight past other hospitals such as Blacktown and Mt Druitt because they believed their children would get the best care there.

"It has become the icon that people flock to," he said. "Attempts have been made to build a network with the other hospitals but it is not working."

Professor Oates said the large increase in patient numbers was due to an increase in illness and a reduction in bulk billing and after hours services among doctors in the western suburbs.

More children were also being referred by their GP for a second opinion - a move hospital authorities believe maybe because doctors are increasingly worried about negligence claims.

The Opposition's health spokeswoman, Jillian Skinner, said The Children's Hospital had never been properly funded, and there was a huge waiting list for elective surgery.